Fire and dust proof record-book.



W. C. AKANS.

FIRE AND DUST PROOF RECORD BOOK.

APPLICATION mm MM. 4. 1915.

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W. C. AKANS.

'FIRE AND DUST PROOF RECORD BOOK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1915.

1,204,387. PdtentedNov. 14,1916.

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W. C. 'AKANS.

FIRE AND DUST PROOF RECORD BOOK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 19m.

1 204,37. Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

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FIRE AND DUST PROOF RECORD BOOK.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 4. 1915.

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lUNlTD h l d llifi PATENT @Fl l d'fl \NALTER CARL AKANS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR 01* ONE-HALF T0 JAMESA. RYAN, OF BIREEINGHAIM, ALABANEA.

FIRE AND DUST PROOF RECORD-BOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov, id, 1916.

Application filed March 4, 1915. Serial No. 12,053.

is bound in metal frame which is fo med in sections that are separately covered with leather before they are assembled, thereby avoiding the dependence upon leather for the strength of the joints which constitutes the life of the book, and permitting the book to be bound with small pieces of leather so that a more economical use can be made of the skins in binding; the bound leaves are protected by a metal rim which, w'thout ail? ctiug the appearance of the book, ont ii incloses the leaves so that their margins protected when the book is cltsed by rim and the metal front and back and backbone from smoke and dust and, the cover asbestos,

being lined with the hook becomes practically fire proof; the ction to the use of loose leaf record backs overcome by providing my book with a permanent lock which is applied after the book has been completely written up and which, having no key hole or means by which it can be unlocked, retains the leaves in permanent bound condition in the book; in order to simplify the manipulation of the leaves during the writing up of the book, 1 provide a novel form ofbinder, utilizing posts which are flexible and provided at each end with means to interlock with hinge tables or loaf supports connected to the metal frame and to a flexible back which protects the backs of the bound leaves; the hinged tables, by means of which the bound leaves are connected to the metal frame, are so d g: d arranged that the book is li ed out of the rim and presented in convenient form for reference automatically by the opening of the front cover which produces the requisite movement of the table sections; and l materially reduce the cost of manufacture of my book by designing the cover sections so that they can be readily and cheaply assembled.

My invention comprises the mechanism and arrangement of parts for carrying out the foregoing objects and embodies the details of construction which are hereinafter particularly described and illustrated in their preferred form only.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 illustrates the book in plan View with the leaves open near the middle of the book. Fig. 2 is 'a similar view with the leaves removed showing the leaf tables and binding devices. Fig. is a cross sectional view on the line a'a: of Fig. l. 'r shows the book in closed position. Fig. 5 illustrates the position of the tables and book when open at the back; and Fig. 6 is a corresponding view showing the book when open at the front. Fig. 7 is a detail view of my improved flexible posts.

Similar reference numera s refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the preferred embodiment of my application which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I provide a sectional metallic cover or protective container for the book, which cover comprises a flat metal back 1 having its three outer edges rounded over on a curve and bent back at 2 to form a reinforced inturned oval edge. Along its inner this back is provided with hinge eyes which are spaced and adapted to be interleafed between similar eyes 3 on a hinge plate lwhich is attached to the back portion of the rim 5 attached to the front cover 6 formed by a metal plate similar to the back cover 1 and having its three outer edges similarly rounded over and inturned. This rim 5 is formed by a double thickness of sheet metal having a substantially rectangular form in plan view and being provided in the bight formed at the upper edge of the rim with a reinforcing rod or wire 7 and having the lower end of the outer layer bent inwardly at 8 to form a continuous socket to receive a bottom reinforcing rod 9. These rods 7 and 9 extend entirely around the rim 5, one end of each rod projecting beyond the meeting ends of the rim, as seen in ilig. 2, and being inserted into the alining opening of the other meeting rim end so as to tie the rim sections together. Between the inner and outer walls of the rim I insert a continuous layer of asbestos and I connect the lower edges of the. rim walls by rivets 1.1. The inner wall of the rim has an inturned horizontal flange 12 which extends continuously around its bot tom edge and has formed therein a plurality of notches 13. These notches are adapted to receive tongues 14L which are punched up from near the marginal edges of the front plate 6 and an asbestos sheet 15 is inserted above the cover (9 with its edges interposed between the cover and the rim flange 12 and also between the inturned marginal edge 16 of the front cover which forms an oval corner edge of double thickness (similar to 2 of the back cover) which is rounded to fit snugly against the rounded lower edge 8 of the rim. The edge of the front plate 6 adjacent to the backbone is curved upwardly at 17 so as to form a substantially continuous curve with the cast or shaped metal backbone 18 which is curved in vertical cross section as seen in Fig. 3, and has its ends 19 curved in plan, as shown in Fig. 2, so that they will round into the rounded corner edges of the: rim 5. This metal backbone is provided at a number of points with raiser. shoulders 20 (see Fig. 1) and these and the countersunk portions between them are provided with shallow recesses to receive either the leather bumpers 21 or the leather titles 22, the latter being protected by the bumpers. It will be noted that the titles are set below the raised metal faces 20 and are therefore protected from wear or defacement. The backbone 18 is made hollow to reduce its weight and is provided with a continuous longitudinal central rib 23 through which I pass the rivets 2 1- that serve'to bind the rim 5, the hinge plate l and the backbone firmly together. The inner. wall of the backbone 18 is provided with an asbestos lining 25. The interleafed eyes 3 and 3- are permanently connected by a hinge rod 26 which has its ends riveted so that the back cover is not, adapted to be unhinged after the book is assembled.

To make the book most convenient for use it is desirable that thebound leaves should be lifted out of the rim 5 automatically both for the purpose of manipulating the book during the time it is being written up and for convenient reference thereto after the book is completed. For this reason I provide a. novel means for loosely but permaiently connecting the book to its sectional cover so that the book will have relative bodily movement into and out of the rim. The book comprises a plurality of leaves 27 of the loose leaf type which are mounted upon a plurality of flexible posts which pass through suitable rounded holes provided for them in the leaves and are preferably formed as shown in Fig. 7 by an outer coiled flexible sheath or casing formed by a continuous helical coiled strip 28 which is substantially S-shaped as shown in cross section in Fig. 7, having portions of each helix overlapping and interlocked with portions of adjacenthelices on each side so as to form a practically continuous smooth and rounded outer surface. This post is reinforced by providing metal end pieces 29 which are rigidly connected thereto and by passing through the post a chain 30 having its end links 31 made fast in and projecting beyond the end pieces 29 and both disposed in the same plane. I attach to the back cover plate 1 a hinge plate- 32 by bolts or rivets and I hinge to this plate a back table member 33 formed by a metal plate the inner edge of which is provided with a series of angled notches 31, leaving tongues 35 which point toward the bottom or lower edge of the book. To the front cover plate 6 at an intermediate point I attach a hinge plate 36 and to this plate I hinge a swinging plate 37 which in its lowered position rests upon the. front cover plate with its outer edge adjacent to the front side of the rim 5.

The plates 36 and 37 arepermanently hinged by a hinge rod 38 and the plate 37 is permanently hinged by a rod to the front table plate 40, these hinge rods having their ends riveted after insertion through the hinge eyes. plate 10 is formed by a metal plate adapted to seat in the rim and having its inner edge adjacent to the backbone permanently hinged. by means of a. riveted hinge pin 41 to a narrow plate 4:2. This plate 4E2, seen more clearly in Fig. 2, is provided The front table with angled notches 43 which leave tongues the table plate 33 it is reinforced by a thin metal plate 46 secured in 'a loop or bight of" the back. punched therein to receive and center the eyes 31 at the back cues of the'posts 23in position for their easy and simultaneous engagement with the tongues 35 on the back table. The back table 33 is hinged to the hinge plate 32 by a pin 17, one end .48 of which is bent at right angles and then bent inwardly and shaped to form an eye 49 which is welded so it cannot be opened. This eye 4:9 is disposed opposite a cutout portion 50 in the back table 33 an'd'on the under This plate 46 has spaced slots face of'this plate and near the inner edge of this cutout I permanently attach a keyless lock 51 having a hasp 59. adapted, when the book is completed, to be passed through the eye 49 and when locked to hold the hinge pin 47 from disengagement which would permit the separation of the back table plate 33 from the back cover.

The back cover 1 is pr vided with a spring latch plate 53 having an opening near its free end which is adapted to spring over a latch stud 54 attached to the front wall of the rim 5. It will be noted that the corners of the rim 5 and of the front and back covers 1 and 6 are all rounded to avoid the wear which would result from sharp corners. The manner in which the backbone 18 is rounded avoids any sharp edges at its top, bottom or side edges. The several ex posed faces of the front and back covers 1 and 6 and the rim 5 are covered with leather, but this is omitted from the drawings for the sake of clearness.

In practice, the rim the front cover 6, the back cover 1 and the backbone 18 of the book are manufactured separately and the parts requiring leather covering have their exposed surfaces covered with leather before assembling, thus permitting small pieces of leather 57, 53 and 59 to be used and enabling me to get as many as nine book coverings for large books out of an average skin, instead of six as is at present the general average and still getting the full leather binding effect, except the backbone which has leather bumpers. The front cover (3 comes with the tongues 6t upstanding and after the rim 5 has been seated on the cover 6 these tongues are bent over to interlock the parts and the hinge rod 26 is inserted through and riveted to permanently hinge the back 1 to the rim, thereafter the rivets 52% are inserted and the sectional metallic cover is completed ready for the re ception of the tables and book. Both the front and back covers 1 and 6 come with the hinge plates and 36 riveted or made fast thereto and after the tables 33 and 4.0 have been hinged to the said plates in the manner described, the leaves 27 are mounted on the flexible posts 28 and are locked against movement lengthwise of the tables by means of CLlIYQ-Cl guide plates which pass through open slots cut in the bottom edges of the leaves. As seen in Fig. 2 I utilize two of these plates and I pass them through suitable notches 56 in the back co 45 and attach their angle ends to the reinforcing metal plate These pins hold the leaves smooth at the ends and preven the book from getting out of shape.

l t hen the leaves have been assembled in the manner described and mounted on the tables, the manner of manipulating the book may be briefly described as follows :After releasing the latch 53, see Fig. 45, the front cover is grasped and the rim 5 is lifted and. swung over as shown in Fig. 6, the weight of the leaves resting on the back cover (3 and on the back table 33. lt will be noted that the book is opened about the hinge pin 26 and that in doing so the front table 4E0 has been drawn forward until the swinging plate 37 stands substantially vertical. In this position the front pages of the book are exposed. As the leaves are turned the book shifts to the position shown in Fig. 3, the swinging plate 37 gradually sinking and the front table to supporting its burden of the leaves. When the leaves have been entirely turned, (see 5) they are supported on the front table 40 and the back cover 1 is raised to a horizontal position. In these arrangements the tables constitute the hinge connections between the book and intermediate portion of the front and back covers, permitting the book and the tables to be shifted bodily relatively to the backbone of the book and in this way the center of gravity of tne book swings from. side to side over the backbone of the book and acts automatically to shift the tables to the required supporting position. Instead of having a single flexing or hinge point, as is the general and common practice, the flexing required for the manipulation of the book is distributed over eight hinges which may be described as the hinge pin er, the two flexing connect-ions between the end links 31 and the table 33 on one side and the hinge plate 4.2 on the other, flexing of the back cover 45 which connects the plate 46, and hinge pins 26, e1, 39 and 38. All of these flexing joints are formed by metal hinge parts except connection for the plate 46.

In writing up a blank book, the front leaves areremo-ved by releasing the hinge pin d7, which disconnects the back table 33, and then shifting this table with the book upwardly (see Fig. 2) which will disengage the several front links 31 from their retaining tongues e4. when they can be passed out of the notches l3 and the leaves removed,

after which the ends of the posts are brought into position to again engage the retaining tongues 44: when the book and table 33 are shifted downwardly to again interlock them when hinge pin l7 is replaced to connect table 33 to the backbone. After the leaves have been written the book is turned to the position shown in lfig. 5 and the hinge pin 47 is again released, whereupon the back table 33 is shifted upwardly to disengage the retaining tongues 35 from the adjacent post links 31, thus freeing the back ends of the posts and permitting the leaves written on to be inserted thereon behind the index pages which are originally at the back of the book. After this the free ends of the posts have their links 31 passed through the plate 16 and the table 33 is moved'to interlock the several links with its retaining tongues 35 and it is ninged again to the plate 32. This HOOGSS continues until the boo-k is written up, the leaves being shifted from front to back and when the book is finally completed the end 48 of the hinge pin l? is swung into position to have the hasp52 of the lock passed through its eye l!) after which it is forced into the lock and permanently locked in that position. There being no key hole provided for this lock it cannot be opened without mntilating the lock or breaking the hinge rod d7. By this means the loose leaf book becomes a permanent and non-changeable record and it is protected from fire, dust and from wear by its metallic cover and it is important to note that the wear of the leather covers does not impair or interfere with the life of the book. In this latter respect my book differs entirely from the present type of record book. It will be also noted that I can remove leaves from the son of the reverse disposition of the retaining tongues eel and 35 for the posts.

W hat I claim as'new and desire to secure 7 by Letters Patent, is:

1.. A metal binding for books comprising a. backbone, front and back cover plates, a rim around one of said plates on one side adjacent to the exposed edges,-and leaf binding means hinged to the front and back cover plates.

2. A metal binding for books comprising cover plates, a rim forming withone cover plate a receiving pocket for the bound leaves, and a leaf binding means loosely connected to the otl er cover plate and adapted to be lifted thereby from the pocket, substantially as described.

3). A book comprising front and back covers, means to hingedly connect said covers, a rim protector for the exposed marginal. edges of the leaves, tables to which the leaves are connected and which in turn are loosely connected to the front and back covers, an d'aloose leaf binding means connected to said tables, substantially as described. V

In a metallic book cover, front and back cover plates and a rim about one of said plates, said parts being adapted to be separately leather covered before they are' assembled, metal joints to suitably connect said parts, and leaf binding means loosely connected to one or bothof saidplates.

5. In a metal bound book, front and back cover plates, a backbone, means to rigidly connect the backbone to one plate andmeans to hinge the other plate to the backbone, a leaf binding means free of fixed connection to the backbone, and means to hingedly connect said binding means to the front and back cover plates, substantially as described.

6. In a metal bound book, front and back cover plates, a backbone, means to rigidly connect the backbone to one plate and means to hinge the other-plate to the backbone, a. leaf binding means free of fixed connection to the backbone, and articulating'meansto hingedly connect said binding means to intermediate points of the front and back covers, substantially as described.

7. In a metal bound. book, front and back covers, a backbone, means to hingedly con-.

nect the covers, a rim around one of. said covers on one side adjacent to the exposed edges, a leaf hinge connected to one cover, leaf supporting tables connected at one end to said leaf hinge and at the other end being hinged to-the other cover, and leaf binding means to attach the book leaves to said table.

substantially as described.

8. In a metal bound book, front and back covers which are hinged together, loose leaf binding means comprising posts,notched plates carrying reversely disposed meansto interlock with the ends'of-said posts, means to permanently attach one of said plates to one cover of the book, and means to detach- V gage the desired end of tially as described. I r a 9. In ametal bound book, a loose leaf binder comprising I post-s, sheet retaining means to 'det-ach'ably engage the posts at the front-and back of the book, a hinged sectional cover, ineans'to permanently connect the cover sections, means to permanently connect the sheet retaining means on one side of the bookto the cover, means to detachably V fasten theothersheet retaining means to the cover, and a keyless lock to permanently con- 7 nect said latter meansto the bookafter the bone connected to the rim, a leaf hinge tached to the rim bearing cover plate and being adapted to fold down fiat therein a leaf supporting table hinged to the free end of the leafhinge, av second table detach ably hinged to the other cover plate, loose leaf binding meansmounted on said tables and movable therewith, and means to pen Y to'the cover, substantially as described;

7 "11.. In aloose leaf binder, a flexible post 7 manen tly secure said detachable table hinge having eyes at each end disposed in the same plane, a leaf retaining means adapted to interlock with said eyes, one of said means being movable relatively to the other and having its eye engaging means disposed opposite to the eye engaging means of the other to adapt the posts, by relative movement between them and either retaining means, to have only their corresponding desired ends released to receive or discharge leaves, substantially as described.

In a metal bound book, front and back cover plates which are permanently hinged, loose leaf retaining posts having eyes at each end, two plates having reversely disposed eye engaging tongues which are adapted to interlock with the eyes to fasten the leaves on the posts, and articulating means to connect said plates to the front and back cover plates, substantially as described.

-3. In a metal bound book, front and back cover plates which are permanently hinged, a loose leaf binder, means to hingedly connect said binder to the cover plates, a flexible back connected to the binding means on one side of the book and detachably connected to the binding means on the other side of the book, substantially as described.

l-l. lin combination, front and back metallic cover plates, a backbone, means to con nect the cover plates, a loose leaf binder, means to hingedly connect said binder to the front and back cover plate, a flexible backing connected to the binding means on one side of the leaves, a reinforcing plate connected to the other end of the flexible back,

posts in said binder having eyes, said reinforcing plate being slotted to permit the eyes to pass therethrough, a movable plate carrying tongues adapted to interlock with the eyes, and means to permanently connect said plate to the book after the leaves have been written up.

In a metal bound book, the combination of hinged front and back cover plates, a rim on one cover plate, a pair of folding tables hinged to said plates, and means to bind and mount the bound leaves on said tables.

16. In a metal protected book, the combination of metal covers, one of which has a marginal leaf edge protecting rim, of leaf supporting means connected to the metal covers and adapted to bind and raise the bound leaves from said protecting rim as the covers are opened.

17. In a protecting book cover, front and back metal covers, a marginal leaf edge protecting rim disposed about one of said covers, an articulated leaf supporting table adapted to fold into said rim when the covers are closed, and a connection between said table and the cover without the rim, said connection being adapted to raise the table and support the leaves at the rim level when the covers are open.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l VALTER CARL AKANS. itnesses Nonrn NnLsn, Row. D. .lorms'ron, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

